Perspectives on rosacea patient characteristics and quality of life using baseline data from a phase 3 clinical study conducted in Japan

Abstract

There is a lack of contemporary data on rosacea originating in Japan. Using baseline data from a randomized, phase 3 study of 130 Japanese patients with rosacea treated with metronidazole gel (0.75%) or vehicle, the authors evaluated demographic and clinical characteristics, pretreatment quality of life, and exacerbating factors. In line with global data, most patients were women (82.3%; 107/130) and aged between 30 and 50 years (60.7%; 79/130). Patient‐reported quality of life scores indicated that rosacea had an impact similar to that of other debilitating and disfiguring skin conditions (such as psoriasis), particularly in terms of the emotional burden. Anxiety or depression was reported by 30% of patients (39/130), with 6.9% (9/130) reporting moderate levels and 0.8% (1/130) reporting severe levels. The top five exacerbating factors reported to trigger worsening of rosacea were temperature changes, sun exposure, hot weather, seasonal variation, and heavy exercise. In addition, pollen exposure and menstruation were noted as triggers of rosacea symptoms; these are novel findings that require further investigation to fully understand the implications for patients and treatment. Rosacea is likely to be underdiagnosed and undertreated in Japan because of the current lack of consensus guidelines and standardized therapy. The authors anticipate that the results of this analysis will provide much needed information to help improve diagnosis and facilitate the management of rosacea in patients.

The causal relationship between blood metabolites and rosacea: A Mendelian randomization

“…The primary enzyme responsible for producing N‐Lac‐Phe is cytosolic nonspecific dipeptidase 2 (CNDP2), which can be found in various kinds of cells, including epithelial cells, immune cells, and mesenchymal stem cells 24 . Heavy exercise is considered to be one of the triggers for the onset or exacerbation of rosacea 25,26 . Recent research has demonstrated that exercise may induce the synthesis of N‐Lac‐Phe, a metabolite that is robust and linked to a variety of activity modalities and physical activity in mammals 24 .…”

“… 24 Heavy exercise is considered to be one of the triggers for the onset or exacerbation of rosacea. 25 , 26 Recent research has demonstrated that exercise may induce the synthesis of N‐Lac‐Phe, a metabolite that is robust and linked to a variety of activity modalities and physical activity in mammals. 24 Therefore, we hypothesized that elevated N‐Lac‐Phe due to physical activity could induce or exacerbate rosacea, which is consistent with our findings.…”

Potential Role of Tranexamic Acid in Rosacea Treatment: conquering Flushing Beyond Melasma

“…Studies have shown that physical symptoms and emotional distress reduce the quality of life in patients with rosacea. 28 Currently, the principal treatment options for rosacea include oral tetracycline, isotretinoin, β-adrenergic receptor blockers, topical antibacterial drugs, and vasoconstrictors. 1 In the previously mentioned six clinical studies, TA was reported to be effective in the treatment of rosacea.…”

Dietary Antioxidants May Support Cosmetic Treatment in Patients with Rosacea

“…The results of many scientific studies confirm that rosacea has a negative, usually moderate impact on the quality of life, which significantly deteriorates as the severity of the disease increases, and in the presence of factors that worsen the symptoms of rosacea [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]. Therefore, the current therapeutic approach to treating rosacea is to combine different treatments, use appropriate skin care products, and avoid triggers that exacerbate symptoms.…”